I would like to do a classical music appreciation study with my kids. I am picturing something very simple. Kind of like this: We listen to a song on a CD, then read a bit about the song and the artist. Are there any CD/ book sets out there that are as simple as this? Thank you, HeatherM

Has anyone used Uncle Dan's Algebra? I think it sells for $109. Is that pricey for 1 year of math? Did you like it? Was it worth the money? Heather

Rod and Staff math stops at 8th grade. Which curriculums would work after this for high school? Looking for success stories. Thanks, Heather

My son could not have done this in second grade. We started the last half of 3rd and finished half way through 4th grade. I just bought the 3rd level book so we just started it, and he'll be 10 tomorrow. He struggles with dictation, but has shown improvement.

I think the extra curriculars got crazy after Moms and Dads started having less children. Children used to play a lot with their own siblings, but when the number of children went way down, the desire for socialization with other kids grew. But now I think it has changed into, "Well, there are all these sports and activities available, and everyone I know has their kids involved in something. So we probably should get our kids involved too." I don't care for extra activities. They really mess up my dinner plans.

My son liked the Hardy Boy books. There is some humor in them, and they are morally safe. He said the old ones were better than the new ones, and they were available at our library. Doesn't matter what order you read them in. He really jumped up his reading level after reading about 30 of them. He's ready for meatier books now.

My fourth grade son keeps all of his school books and flash cards in a large dishpan. The normal size was too small. It's very sturdy (wicker is not). I glued a rectangle piece of cheap felt material to the bottom (fabric glue). This prevents our wooden shelf from being scratched. We homeschool in our dining room, and that's where my little 3 shelf book case is. I only keep what we are using for the semester on that book case. Is there anywhere in your home that shelves could be put in all the way to the ceiling? My husband built some for me for Mother's Day, and it helped a ton.

You are awesome! Thanks for the link. How many minutes can the timer be set for? Does it repeat the same amount of time when the child hits the button? Heather

My 9 yr old son is easily distracted. I would love to have an interval timer -kinda like a school bell, to use to help him. I would like to use it temporarily to get him to know when to switch activities. Anyone know of a timer that can be programmed ahead of time?

I read somewhere that a child has to recite something 100-150 times for it to stay in his long term memory. I thought my son might have some learning blocks, because I was sure it was taking him longer. Then I really looked at how often he recited his times tables, and it was only about 3 times a week. I changed to 6 days a week, and that has made a HUGE difference for him. HeatherM

I don't know what MEP is.

So far we have used Rod and Staff Math for 2nd and 3rd grade. I like the simplicity and orderliness of the books. I also like that they are inexpensive and reusable for the most part. My 6 year old daughter keeps asking to do math. I would like to just have a little fun with her in math this year. What I mean is, I don't want to drill her and time her this year. Plenty of time for that in the next couple of years. I also don't want to spend a lot of money. Any suggestions?

My parents have one. So when we visit my kids get to play on it. They love it, but I find the noise and the graphics highly irritating, and would hate to have it in my house. I've played it, and I do not think you get much of a workout at all.

I would definately just stick with the basics for the first semester. Do phonics, reading practice, and handwriting with your 6 year old. Do math if you have time, but if you do no math with your 6 year old for the semester, no big deal. Now, for your second grader, I would choose the following subjects: Spelling, Grammar, Math, and have her read aloud to you from books you get from the library. The only other thing I would do is read aloud to your kids cuddled on the couch every day. That's it. Don't let your child discourage you when she has a bad attitude or is uncooperative. Just be firm, discipline when necessary, and keep plodding along. Blessings!

So you only purchased one item, the teacher's edition of Daily Grams, and that was enough to teach grammar for the year? Could the student do the work on regular notebook paper, or does it make more sense to use the student pages? Are you saying that the regular teacher's manual and student book are not needed if you buy the Daily Grams? Sorry, for all the questions. I don't want to buy more than I need. Heather

Sorry, I guess I misunderstood the original question. I use the Writing With Ease workbook. The student pages are in the back. I do not use them at all. I never bought additional student pages. I highly recommend the workbooks, but for the reason that Susan took the time to prepare all the story excerpts and what the teacher should say to the child. When my child does copy work I just show him the sentences to be copied. He copies right from the teacher's portion of the book. I have never flipped to the back where the student pages are. I originally purchased the instructor text only. I put it away as soon as I bought the workbook. I don't use it at all anymore. I would have been absolutely fine buying the workbook alone with nothing to accompany it. Heather

Has anyone used Famous Men of Rome from Memoria Press? Is it a good read aloud? Is it interesting to children? Is it better saved for Junior High years? Heather

I like that everything is scripted for me, but I do not need the student pages at all. We don't use them. I read from the book, and my child writes his narration on regular notebook paper. Even when my kids first begin writing they don't make their letters that large. Heather

I am confused about what to order with Easy Grammar. It looks like there is a teacher's manual, a student workbook, daily grams, and daily grams teaching text. Is this correct? Is it necessary to buy all 4 items for each year? I do hate consumables. I like passing things on to the next child. I would love to hear from those of you who have used it. Heather

Thanks so much for your reply. What is a good age to begin? I have a nine year old. I was looking for something to begin at age 10. Heather

Has anyone used Prima Latina without the DVDs? I'm not much of a TV/ video watcher. I prefer books, so I was wondering if the DVDs were essential, or if the program would work fine without them. Heather

Have you used the Excellence in Writing course? Was it helpful in teaching your child to write paragraphs, reports, and short stories? We are currently using Susan Wise Bauer's Writing With Ease books, but am wondering what to do next. Heather

Does Rod and Staff Grammar teach sentence diagramming at some point? We just finished level 2. I never learned diagramming as a child but would like my children to learn it. Heather

My son hates to write, but I bought WWE 2 and we both love doing it. He is 8 years old. He has gotten really good at pulling out the main thread. He's also gotten good at remembering what I have dictated to him. He couldn't remember anything at first. I would recommend this program to everyone! I don't know that WWE I is necessary. I will most likely start my daughter in level 2 when she is 7 (and skip level 1). But for your oldest, WWE might not work well. If she is behind in her writing skills you might start her in level 3, and then just switch to a different program after this year. Hope that helps. Heather

I started teaching my son to read with Alpha Phonics before he turned 6. He didn't get it. After he turned six, it was a still a very slow process. We kept our sessions short. Some days only 5 minutes a day. I had to do it mid morning when he was most alert, or he just couldn't do it. Anyway, it was at 7 1/2 that he started reading decently. Before that, he sounded like he was learning disabled. If I were you I would just keep plugging along. My son is a really good reader now. I think his brain just wasn't ready, but I think continuing to do the short sessions were a help. We are using Spell to Write and Read now, and I love it! My son is using it for spelling, but my 5 yr old daughter is using it to learn to spell, write, and read. Good Luck. Heather